HERMISTON, Ore.-The Hermiston High School Varsity Girls Basketball team beat Central Valley, 46-37 in a loser-out District Playoff game on February 19.
Determined that their season would not end, Hermiston came out with an intensity in front of the home crowd, and were seemingly in control throughout the game, holding the visiting Bears to a season low of 36 points.
“Defense made the difference tonight,” said Hermiston Head Coach Jay Ego. “We defended well and made them take tough shots.”
While Hermiston’s defense set the tone, a balanced offensive attack paced the Bulldogs in the first half, as the home team took a 25-18 lead into halftime.
Hermiston took control of the game in the third quarter thanks to their suffocating defense and rebounding, which limited Central Valley’s second-chance point opportunities, as the Bulldogs built a 37-25 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
“Our rebounding was better tonight and we got great shots,” said Ego.
Aspyn Inners led Hermiston with 20 points on the night, while Lucy Teegarden added 13 for the Bulldogs.
“Inners had a mismatch most of the night and did a good job attacking and finishing off her offensive opportunities,” said Ego.
Central Valley pulled to within eight with two minutes left, but that was as close as the Bears got as Hermiston put the final touches on the victory with a couple of late free throws for the 46-37 win.
Hermiston is now one win away from a state berth and will host Southridge High School on February 21.
Southridge is a familiar foe for Hermiston, with the teams splitting their two regular-season matchups, and the schools have recently developed a bit of a natural rivalry, according to Ego.
The Bulldogs beat the Suns just three weeks ago for the number one seed in the MCC heading into Districts.
“Defensively we match up with anybody really well,” said Ego. “Southridge is a physical team, the key will be dealing with their physicality and finishing shots at the rim.”
Tipoff for Hermiston and Southridge, with a trip to state on the line is set for 6 p.m. on February 21 in the Hermiston gym.
